The Square Mile, its crime and policing historyThe Square Mile, its crime and policing history

PC 194B Bob Lansley of the City of London Police
Born 20th March 1905
Husband of Dorothy Maud Lansley (nee Richards)
Sergeant, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 153 Squadron, Service Number 1398875
Missing presumed killed, 16th July 1944

Between 1943 and 1946 the City of London Police produced a monthly Bulletin reporting news of those former City officers who were now serving in the armed forces. Bob Lansley features in the August 1944 edition: not only had he recovered from two periods of sickness in North Africa, he had:

“recently scored his first “kill”, sending a plane crashing into the sea. Unfortunately it was the one he was in at the time, and he thinks he owes his life to the skill of the pilot, although he also owes him quite a lot of the crash. They had a lengthy swim before them whichever direction they took, but resisted the temptation to come home again and made for Africa”.

Lansley’s luck didn’t last long though. In the September, his wife received a letter from her husband’s Commanding Officer stating that Lansley and his pilot were seen to bale out into the sea just off the enemy coast while on air operations in Beaufighter VIF MM871. Hopes were expressed that they might have made shore, particularly given Lansley’s recent experience. Nothing further was heard of him though, and Sgt B Lansley is commemorated on the Malta Memorial.